In December 2011, Samsung launched its much-anticipated Galaxy Nexus smartphone. It's the latest device to run on Verizon's 4G LTE network, and the first to run the Ice Cream Sandwich version of Google's Android OS.

Our friends at iFixit got their hands on an unlocked, UK version of the Galaxy Nexus and cracked it open last month. But as my teardown shows, Verizon's version may look the same on the outside, but much of the hardware inside is different. Follow along as I go inside the first US version of the Samsung Galaxy Nexus.

Photo by: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublicCaption by: Bill Detwiler

As of this writing, the Samsung Galaxy Nexus is available (in the US) from Verizon for $299.99 (US) with a two-year contract. I bought our Galaxy Nexus test device (sans contract) from a local Best Buy location for $799.99 (plus tax).

Update 12/22/2011: When this gallery was first published, I indicated that the chip shown in this image contained the Galaxy Nexus' 1.2GHz processor. And given the information I had at the time (the processor's clock speed and chip markings), I identified the processor as Samsung's 1.2GHz Exynos 4210 processor. Since the gallery was published, Kevin Krause over at phandroid.com has suggested that the Galaxy Nexus does not use the Exynos 4210 but the Texas Instruments OMAP 4460 processor. This is possible, but given that I can't find any chip on the Galaxy Nexus' motherboard with markings that shown it contains a TI OMAP processor, I can't know for sure. I've updated the image's title to note that it may not contain an Exynos processor, and I've put in a call to Samsung for confirmation. I'll update this gallery when I get confirmation about the chip. -- Bill Detwiler

Bill Detwiler is Managing Editor for ZDNet's sister site TechRepublic Pro and the host of Cracking Open, CNET and TechRepublic's popular online show. He was most recently Head Technology Editor for TechRepublic. Prior to joining TechRepublic in 2000, Bill was an IT manager and desktop support technician in the social research and energy i...
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